J
Jean-Philippe Ghyoot
I wanted to share a product enhancement idea that could significantly accelerate solution building in SmartSuite, especially while your team continues developing AI-powered solution creation.
The Concept: Schema-First Solution Building
What if SmartSuite allowed users to define solutions through structured text/code (similar to YAML or JSON), which could then be imported to automatically generate the complete SmartSuite solution?
Real-World Parallel: Home Assistant
The Home Assistant ecosystem provides an excellent model for this approach. Users can define automations in two ways:
  1. Visual UI Builder
    - Point-and-click interface (like SmartSuite's current approach)
  2. YAML Code
    - Structured text that gets imported and rendered as the visual interface
Here's a simple Home Assistant automation example:
```yaml
automation:
- alias: "Evening Lights"
trigger:
- platform: sun
event: sunset
offset: "-01:00:00"
condition:
- condition: time
after: "16:00:00"
before: "23:00:00"
action:
- service: light.turn_on
target:
entity_id: group.living_room
Many users find it faster to write/copy/modify YAML code than to click through multiple UI screens, especially for similar automations or complex logic.
How This Could Work in SmartSuite
**For Solution Building:**
```yaml
smartsuite_solution:
name: "Project Management System"
tables:
- name: "Projects"
fields:
- name: "Project Name"
type: "text"
required: true
- name: "Status"
type: "single_select"
options: ["Planning", "Active", "Complete"]
- name: "Tasks"
type: "linked_record"
link_to: "Tasks"
- name: "Tasks"
fields:
- name: "Task Name"
type: "text"
- name: "Assignee"
type: "member"
- name: "Project"
type: "linked_record"
link_to: "Projects"
For Automations:
```yaml
smartsuite_automation:
name: "Task Assignment Notification"
trigger:
field_change: "Tasks.Assignee"
action:
send_email:
to: "{{trigger.field.new_value}}"
subject: "New task assigned: {{Tasks.Task Name}}"
```
Key Benefits
  1. Speed
    - Experienced users can build solutions much faster through code
  2. Reusability
    - Easy to copy, modify, and share solution templates
  3. Version Control
    - Text-based schemas work well with Git and other versioning systems
  4. Documentation
    - Schema serves as living documentation of the solution structure
  5. AI Integration
    - AI could generate, validate, or suggest improvements to schemas
  6. Bulk Operations
    - Easy to make widespread changes across multiple tables/fields
Implementation Approach
Phase 1: Schema Import
  • Define a SmartSuite schema format (YAML or JSON)
  • Build an import function that creates solutions from schema files
  • Support core elements: tables, fields, relationships, basic automations
Phase 2: Bi-directional Sync
  • Allow exporting existing solutions as schema files
  • Enable round-trip editing (schema → UI → schema)
Phase 3: AI Enhancement
  • AI-powered schema generation from natural language descriptions
  • Schema validation and optimization suggestions
  • Template library with AI-categorized schema examples
Why This Makes Sense Now
While you're developing comprehensive AI solution building, this feature could:
  • Provide immediate value to power users
  • Serve as a foundation for AI-generated solutions
  • Create a structured format that AI can work with more effectively
  • Appeal to technical users who prefer code-based workflows
The Home Assistant community loves having both options available - many start with the UI to understand the structure, then switch to YAML for speed and flexibility.
Would love to discuss this further if it aligns with your roadmap.